Through secret doors, down corridors
by AnnieXMuller
Summary: Getting old sucks. But murders threatening to put a damper on birthday celebrations, and wayward family members, sucks even more. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Ahkay. I'm not sure where to start. How about with this: This story won't be everyone's cup of tea. Not even close. **

**This is not the kind of story I read, in fact this is the kind of story I avoid, avoid, avoid. But I had this future Caskett headcanon eating away at my brain, and I needed to type it out. I'm posting it here for the two people who showed interest in my stupid future headcanon, but if I suck others into my brain as well, that's awesome and welcome :) We're not starting at the beginning, and things might seem a bit confusing at times, because you're not going to see the whole story. But if you're still here after all these off-putting notes, then let me introduce you to a few new people, as we get a glimpse into what my brain decided Caskett would be like twenty two years from now. And if you manage to stick around til the end (depending on how the chapters break up it will be either a 2 or 3 chapter fic), I owe you a beer. At the very least.**

**Endless thanks to Brooke, for the pom poms, for reading my endless texts on the characters eating my brain, and for helping me name most of them ;) And thank you Lou, because you simply said you'd read it. And those two are why I'm posting it now.  
**

* * *

The flurry of activity caught her attention; she slowed her jog to a brisk walk, and made her way across the dew-soaked grass to the swarm of detectives, the yellow tape, and the coroner's van. The sun was still rising above the skyscrapers, still forcing its yellow and orange hues between grey steel and stone buildings, still warming the pavements, melting the frost off windshields - and drying the blood around the body.

But she couldn't see it. The body. It was obscured from view, a van, tarps, detectives, and trees all making sure the victim was well hidden from sight.

On the tips of her toes, bouncing on the soles of her trainers, she tried desperately to see, drawing attention to herself in the process.

She was crouched down, knees in the dirt, blades of grass tickling the skin between her fingers, head tilted, trying a different angle, when the voice boomed beside her.

"What are you doing at my crime scene?"

Ophelia snapped her head up, and found herself being scrutinized by Detective James Windsor's pissed off brown eyes. She stood, brushing her hands off on her running pants, trying to regain her dignity. "Ah, nothing?" Reaching behind her, balanced on one foot, she grasped the tip of her trainer, and pulled her leg back. "Stretching."

Folding his arms across his chest, Windsor's unimpressed eyes bored into her. "Who tipped you?"

"No one," she told him firmly, planting her foot back in the soft dirt. "I was passing by." At his unconvinced look she squared her shoulders and huffed out a frustrated puff of air. "I swear."

"Coincidence then, huh?"

"Good timing on my part by the looks of things." Nodding towards the crime scene, she shifted her eyes to see if her view was any less obstructed now. It wasn't. "Who died?"

"No one."

"Oh, come on, Jimmy, gimme something here."

"It's Detective Windsor to you, and no." He pointed back towards the trail she had deviated from. "Move on."

"What's so special about this one then?" she asked, actually taking the moment to stretch out her other leg, since she had started.

"You usually run this path?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Am I a suspect now?" she asked.

"No, just trying to figure out why you're here."

She smiled, a sly grin reserved only for him. "I'm here for the story."

"As always," he muttered.

"You'd think you'd be used to me by now." She smirked at him.

"Look," he said, his voice low, "you need to leave this one alone."

She raised her chin, and cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just walk away," he told her, his eyes dark. "Don't write about this one."

"Why?" At the shake of his head, she repeated, "Why, Windsor? Come one, give me something here."

"Trust me, Castle, this one isn't for you to put in your little paper."

"_The New York Herald_ isn't little," Ophelia snapped, tired of the same old gibes from him about her job. She took a step back, but turned before walking off. "What is it you can't tell me?"

"I can't tell you." And with that he left her, making his way back to the scene without another glance in her direction.

She watched him for a moment, watched as the body, covered now, still hidden from view, was loaded into the back of the coroner's van, watched as detective's huddled around the scene. She took in the stoic faces, Windsor's tense body language, and quietly stepped back onto the path she had abandoned. She ran at full speed along it once she was out of sight of the detectives; she slipped behind the wheel of her car, and followed the van through the streets of New York.

* * *

A few spaces down from the front entrance of the coroner's building, Ophelia sat hunched down in her car on First Avenue, waiting for Windsor to leave so she could enter the building. Her phone shrilled loudly on the seat beside her, vibrating violently, and scaring the living shit out of her. She reached across, keeping her head down, and snatched the phone. She answered it quickly, the number not familiar.

"Castle."

"Phee!"

Ophelia frowned and then sighed audibly as she slid down further in her seat. "Sam, your timing sucks," she told her older brother, keeping her voice low, eyes still locked on the OCME.

"What's up?"

"I'm busy. Work, you know that thing some of us do to make a living? I'm following up a lead right now." A realization flared in her mind, and she groaned. "Tell me that you are currently 35,000 feet above the Atlantic."

"I'd love to tell you that, but-"

"Sam! You better be joking right now."

"I'm in Amsterdam."

"New Amsterdam?" she growled.

"The Netherlands."

"Fuck," she cursed. "Sam, what the hell?"

"It's not my fault."

"It never is," she replied dryly. She watched as people left the building, her patience thinning with each passing second. It wasn't yet eight am; she'd been awake for two hours, she was hot, and sweaty, trapped in her car, and speaking with her brother was the last thing she wanted to do before a cup of coffee had touched her lips.

"I know your itinerary, and it's simple. We made it simple for a reason, Sam. British Airways Flight 117. Heathrow to JFK. _Simple_. What happened?"

"The guys threw me an impromptu Bachelor party."

"In Amsterdam?"

"Yes."

"More than two months before your actual wedding?"

"Yes."

"When you're supposed to be flying home for dad's birthday?"

"Yes."

"I hate your friends."

"I know."

Ophelia sighed. "So, what's your new flight number?" she asked, resignation dampening her anger.

"See, this is where I might need your help."

Her anger returned, burning through her, firing down the line to her perpetual frustration of a brother. "Sam," she growled.

"I got a little tied up."

"Literally or figuratively?" she asked between clenched teeth.

"Both."

"Of course."

"The stripper stole my wallet."

"You better be messing with me right now."

"Tied me up, and stole- Okay, maybe she tied me up earlier in the evening with my permission, but the wallet thing-"

"You let a stripper tie you up?"

"I thought it was part of the show?"

"Sam," she hissed. "Tell me you didn't sleep with her."

"I didn't, geez, Phee, what kind of person do you think I am? Anyway," he continued before she could answer. "Being a Castle, the duct tape wasn't much of a challenge. I managed to get out of it, get dressed, and haul myself to the airport in time for a flight to New York, but there's one small problem."

"You can't pay for the flight, can you."

"No."

"Dad's birthday is tonight, Sam. How could you-"

"It's not my fault!"

"Why can't Chelsea lend you the money?"

"She, ah, she might also think I'm currently 35,000 feet above the Atlantic."

"Your own fiancee doesn't know you're in Amsterdam?"

"And she's not going to. Come on, Sis. Help me out."

"I'm tired of helping you out."

"Last time, I promise."

"It always is, you always do."

"I'm at the airport, there's a flight leaving in two hours. It's about an eight hour flight, so I'll be in New York before the celebrations kick off. I just need your credit card number."

"Yeah, like hell." She blew her frustration out in one long, exhaled breath. "Hand me over to the clerk. I'm doing this directly."

"Okay, okay, fine. I'm handing you over now. And thanks," he said gently. "I'll pay you back."

Ophelia slumped down behind the wheel, hiding from Detective Windsor as he exited the building, covering her face while she whispered the numbers down the line. She had been waiting to be paid back since she was five and her seven year old brother and had borrowed a dollar from beneath her pillow. The dollar that had been one of several left by the tooth fairy after Sam had swung a baseball bat, hit her in the face, and knocked her two front teeth out. Not even ice cream had fixed her tears that day. And the debt had only grown, almost yearly, since then.

* * *

"You can't come back here," the ME warned her, putting a hand up to stop her from entering the lab.

Ophelia stopped in her tracks, and folded her arms across her chest. "You never stop me, Lanie. Why is this case so different?"

"The mayor said _no_, that you're not to write about this."

Ophelia's mouth fell open. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Sorry, Honey," Lanie said gently. "Also, Windsor made it very clear that if you even stepped foot in here..."

"Okay, what's going on?" she asked vehemently. "The mayor is involved? Windsor is being even more of an ass than usual. What the hell?"

"I can't." Lanie shook her head. "Don't put me in this position, okay? You need to talk to your mom."

Ophelia blinked in surprise. "This is about my mom?"

"Just don't ask me any more questions." Lanie put the back of her glove-free hand to her forehead, and shook her head at the younger woman. "I'm too old for this."

"Is this political?" Ophelia asked quietly.

"Talk to your mom."

"Okay, fine, but..." She glanced up at Lanie with wide eyes. "Is my mom okay?"

"She's fine, Honey. But she might need you."

"Okay." Ophelia nodded. "Thanks, Lanie. I think?"

* * *

Ophelia let herself into the loft to find her parents sitting together on the couch, heads almost touching, whispering to one another. "Hey," she said loudly, announcing herself. "You ready for tonight, Dad?"

He pulled away from his wife, and sighed dramatically. "I don't want to talk about it," he muttered.

"Your father is having a breakdown."

"Another one?"

"Mmhmmm," Kate replied. She ruffled her husband's hair, and stood. Enveloping her youngest in her arms, she smiled. "You off today?"

"No," Ophelia replied, returning her mom's hug. "Just had some things to follow up."

"Here?"

"Yeah um…" She pulled back, and asked softly, "Can we talk?"

Kate narrowed her eyes in concern, and nodded. Wrapping an arm around her daughter's shoulders, she smoothed her husband's hair back down with her free hand, and murmured "girl stuff" to him before leading Ophelia into the study.

* * *

Rick Castle merely waved a hand before returning to his mortality-induced funk on the couch. God, sixty seven? When had that happened? And his Alexis, his little pumpkin, in her forties? He groaned into his hands. Getting old sucked.

* * *

**eeehhhh... yeah. Next chapter soon. Thanks to anyone (Bueller?... Bueller?... Bueller?) still with me. **


	2. Chapter 2

Ophelia settled behind her father's desk and swung her feet up on the smooth wooden surface, worn down by his own feet over the years, ignoring the small disapproving shake of her mom's head. "Didn't Dad have this breakdown last year?"

Kate smiled at the memory. "And the year before," she replied. "You should have seen him the day Alexis turned forty. He didn't get out of bed until the afternoon, and then he moped all day."

"He'll snap out of it before tonight, right?"

"Of course," Kate promised Ophelia. "He'll be fine in an hour, or two. Three at the most." She rested her hip against the edge of the desk, and frowned. "So, what's up?"

Picking at the fraying upholstery of her dad's favorite chair, Ophelia lifted her eyes to meet her mom's while her fingernail continued to scratch at the armrest. "I was hoping you might know, actually?"

"Oh?"

"There was a murder this morning," she said. She sighed, and then shook her head in confusion. "Windsor is freezing me out of it, and Lanie won't let me near the body, she told me to talk to you about it." She swallowed, and added softly, "The Mayor refused me entry to the morgue. What's going on, Mom?"

"I-" Kate froze, a cold chill running through her as she absorbed her daughter's words. "No one's contacted me," she said slowly. "What makes Lanie think I would know?"

Ophelia shrugged. "She just said you'd need me. I think… Mom, I think it's political, I think the victim is someone you know, someone you work with? Or..." She trailed off, and her eyes finished the thought, filled in the name she couldn't speak. "But I couldn't see the body, I don't know. I don't know anything, and I'm not enjoying being shut out like this."

"You think it's…" Kate trailed off, worrying her lower lip and keeping the name suppressed.

"I don't know, Mom. I was hoping you would."

With a one-word voice command, the large screen mounted to the wall flicked on. A quick, short, wave of her hand, and Kate changed the channel - and it only took a moment for the answers to appear before them. "Castle!" Kate called to her husband, a waver in her voice as she did so.

He appeared at the door a moment later, the lines in his forehead deeper than usual. "What's wrong?" Silence greeted him; he glanced up at the TV, and then walked slowly to stand between his wife and daughter, silent.

Ophelia had pushed herself out of the chair, and had turned to face the screen as a familiar name had been spoken. She swallowed thickly as they all stood together now and listened.

"..._ reports the body of Former Senator William Bracken was found in Battery Park this morning_."

Castle's hand reached for Kate's, and he laced his fingers with hers, squeezing gently. Her free hand shaking noticeably, Kate tugged her phone from her pocket and set it on the desk; in a clear, firm tone, belying her inner turmoil, she voice commanded who to connect through to, and to put it on speaker. The call was answered almost immediately. "Are you doing the autopsy?" she asked.

"_Kate_." Lanie sighed down the line, her voice filling the room, the TV muting automatically, switching to closed captions. "_I can't comment on anything right now_."

"Are you doing the autopsy on the body found in Battery Park this morning? Yes or no?"

"_Yes. Now let me do my job so I can join you tonight_."

"Lanie," Kate said, her voice wavering slightly. "Is it over?"

Lanie was silent for a moment. "_I wish the answer was yes, Sweetie_."

"What-?"

"_I'll talk to you when I can_." And the line went dead.

"Hell of a birthday present," Castle muttered.

Kate looked away from the silent, unlit phone, and lifted her eyes to Castle. "Something is very wrong," she told her husband, ignoring her daughter's own wide blue eyes as they bored into her.

* * *

Kate kept her hand tucked in Castle's and held it tight while they moved into the living room, all three still a little shell-shocked. "We can't focus on this today, Castle," she said softly. "Tomorrow, we'll worry about this _tomorrow_." She smiled thinly. "The boys will be here soon, and Alexis." Castle merely nodded at her words.

"Ah," Ophelia interrupted the quiet, uneasy moment, trailing behind her parents, eyes locked on her phone's screen, scrolling through her messages, unsure how to bring up the next piece of information. "About the boys," she said slowly.

"Both of them?" Kate asked.

"Just one."

Kate sighed. "What has Sam done now?"

"He might be delayed," Ophelia said quickly.

"How delayed?" Kate asked, her tone firm, demanding answers immediately.

"He had flight issues, but I think he's on his way now." She read the latest message from her brother, and shook her head. "More delays; bad weather," she recited sadly. "He's not even in the air yet." She worried her lower lip between her teeth after giving her parents the information. "He'll keep us updated."

"So, he'll just make it for… the end of the party, if I'm lucky?" Castle sighed.

"Sorry."

"Not your fault, and I'm really not surprised."

"I think the weather is a bit beyond his control, Dad. But Charlie will be here soon," she told them brightly. "I'm picking him up from the airport in an hour."

* * *

"You can't just waltz in here whenever you choose."

Leaving Charlie standing awkwardly at the edge of the bullpen, Ophelia ignored Windsor's words, held her head high, and marched straight past the detective and into the captain's office. At the captain's cocked eyebrow, she stopped, and then took a step back. "I probably should have knocked first," she said, a little sheepish.

"Yes," he agreed, his tone clipped. "I would suggest that you do that next time."

"Yeah, um-"

"Just remember," he continued, "I used to change your diapers, and thanks to my daughter I know more of your secrets than you'd probably like. So, yes, you will knock, and you will wait."

She blushed furiously, ducking behind loose strands of her shoulder-length curls. "Sorry. Uh. Sir," she stumbled over her words, and almost her own feet.

"You okay?" His tone changed, and his eyes softened, as he took in the disheveled figure panting slightly in his office.

"I might be having a panic attack," she admitted.

He handed her some water, and gestured for her to take a seat. "I think it's safe to say this is not because of your dad's birthday celebrations tonight."

"It's a little bit of that, a little bit of Sam, but mostly..." She raised her eyes, and asked quietly, "The body. This morning, in the park. Windsor, and the mayor, and the news said... Bracken?" She pushed the name out softly on an exhaled puff of air.

"It's a good thing I know you write better than you speak." At Ophelia's raised eyebrow and pained expression, he added, "Yes. It was Bracken."

"I want in."

"Not going to happen."

"Please, you have to let me have this story." She blinked furiously, before saying softly, but firmly, "I _need_ this story, Uncle Kevin."

"It's too dangerous."

"I can look after myself."

Ryan smiled at her determination. "I know you can. But between your mom and the mayor I'm not prepared to let you get involved in this."

Ophelia stood; she marched out of the room, throwing her final words over her shoulder as she exited. "Then I'll just do it without your permission."

"I would expect nothing less," Ryan muttered into the empty room. "Windsor!"

Windsor appeared at his door a moment later, looking like he was in immense pain. "Please, I am begging you, not to-"

"If anything happens to her I'll have Beckett on my ass for the rest of my life."

"That's Senator Castle to you, I believe."

"Windsor," Ryan growled. "Don't let her get herself killed."

"Didn't sign up for babysitting duty when I put on this badge," Windsor muttered as he exited the room.

"Welcome to my life," Ryan sighed.

* * *

The sun had descended, and soft lights lit the loft, the home filled with laughter and music. The concerns of the day had been left out in the hall, and only warm smiles and bright eyes had entered. Raising a glass in the air, Castle smiled at the small group of friends and family surrounding him. Martha sat quietly in the armchair she had claimed as her own a decade or so ago, wrapped in a shawl, holding a glass out to her son, and smiling warmly. She remained seated, watching on, older than she ever imagined being, but mind and tongue still as sharp as ever.

A hand rested on her shoulder, and she turned her head, and nodded at her daughter-in-law. "How's he holding up?" Martha asked, voice a little softer these days.

"He's fine now; nothing a little scotch couldn't fix," Kate whispered back as Castle began his speech.

His eyes drifted around the room, and he spoke to the friends that were present, and the ones they had lost along the way, and thanked them all for attending. In body, or in spirit. He hugged his four children, his lone grandchild, and continued on, embracing friends, shaking hands with some, and high-fiving others. Making his way around the room, he didn't notice three of his kids shuffle off, having been blissfully oblivious to the chill swirling around them all evening.

* * *

"I'm done helping you out, Sam," Ophelia spat at her brother. "Done. Do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Sis. Loud and clear."

She clenched her teeth and seethed silently, arms folded across her chest, Sam in front of her, Charlie behind her, in their parents' bedroom.

"I'm telling Mom."

"What are you, still twelve years old and snitching on your brothers?" Sam asked.

"I'm not snitching on Charlie, just you."

"I haven't done anything anyway," Charlie muttered, moving to stand beside his sister.

Sam rolled his eyes at his twin, and shifted his attention back to Ophelia. "You act like you're so perfect, Phee. Which one of us dropped out of college, huh? Which one of us relied on Dad to find us a job? Wasn't me. I may not be working, but I have two words for you: Fulbright scholar. What are you doing? Submitting piss-poor articles and hoping no one notices you're lacking your father's talent?"

Tears pricked at Ophelia's eyes, but she blinked them away, stood her ground, and refused to let her brother get to her.

"That's not fair, Sam," Charlie warned. "Phee's brilliant, and you know it. Dad may have got her the job, but it's her own talent keeping her in it."

"How'd that promotion go then?" Sam asked, ignoring Charlie.

"I.." Ophelia swallowed thickly.

"You didn't get it," Sam surmised.

"No." Her glare wavered as the tears threatened to fall once more. "Happy someone screws up more than you?"

"You're not a screw-up, Phee," Charlie told her gently. "And you need to back off, Sam," he warned his twin in a sharper tone.

"What is going on in here?" Kate asked, entering the room and raising her voice to be heard over the din her three adult children were making.

"I'm telling mom," Ophelia spat out.

"Don't you dare," Sam warned.

"What?" Kate snapped.

"Sam lied to his pregnant fiancee and made me bail his ass out," she said quickly.

"Yeah? Well, little miss perfect didn't get the promotion, and Charlie's gay," Sam retorted like the child he was being made to feel like.

Ophelia sucked in a strangled gasp, and Charlie tensed at her side.

"Yeah, we've known that since he was five," Kate threw back at Sam.

"What?" Charlie whimpered, lifting his eyes to meet his mother's. "You knew?"

Kate nodded kindly at her bewildered younger twin son, and mouthed _it's okay_, before turning back to Sam. "You lied to Chelsea?"

"She wouldn't let me have a bachelor party, so the boys threw me one. I got stranded in Amsterdam, and yes, _Ophelia_ paid for my flight out. No biggie."

"No biggie?" Kate snarled. "Are you kidding me? Trust me when I say you two need to be more honest with each other. You're about to get married, for God's sake. It's not going to last if you keep sneaking off and going against her wishes."

"It's not going to last anyway," Charlie spoke up.

"Shut up," Sam fired back.

"You knocked her up, Sam. She only said yes because you're too stupid to use birth control."

"She was too," Sam reminded him.

"You both were," Ophelia muttered.

"Kids! We're not going to talk about this right now," Kate told them fiercely. "You three are going to go out there before you all ruin your dad's birthday. Be. Nice."

"Beckett," Castle called, "You in there?"

"Kate forced a smile onto her face. "Be right out." She turned back to Sam. "Get out there,_ now_."

Alexis poked her head into the room, and then walked in with her daughter in tow. "Sophie wanted to say goodnight," she told Kate quietly.

Kate wrapped her granddaughter in her arms and hugged her. "Good night, baby."

"Goodnight, Gram."

"Your momma taking you upstairs?" The sleepy seven year old nodded, and then dropped her head on Kate's shoulder. "Wow she really is exhausted," she said softly.

"Dad discovered she can now wrap her finger around the trigger and hold the gun, and I think after the day she's had ten minutes playing laser tag was enough to wear her out. The gun is huge, I don't remember it being that big. I can't believe he dragged it out of storage, and that it still works. The entire thing is an antique but he won't upgrade it."

"He likes the memories attached to it," Kate said gently, smiling. "And I guess the torch has been passed."

"It most definitely has," Alexis replied smiling in return. She reached for Sophie and took her from Kate's arms. "I'll put her to bed; I'll be back down soon."

"Night Soph," Ophelia whispered while Charlie kissed the top of his niece's head.

Once Alexis had exited with her sleepy daughter, Kate turned back to her kids. "You'll get the next promotion, Phee. Do you want Dad to-"

"No," she cut in quickly. "No, let me do this on my own."

Kate nodded but didn't comment further on that subject. "I'll reimburse you for Sam."

"Oh, no, Mom, it's okay, don't worry."

"No, it's not okay. I'll sort that out, I promise." Turning to Charlie, she said, "As for you, I think it's time you brought that 'roommate' of yours with you. I'll be setting a place for him for Thanksgiving. No excuses."

Charlie stepped slowly towards his mother. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Because it was up to you."

"And you don't mind?"

"Oh, baby." Kate pulled her hesitant son into her arms. "Of course we don't mind. We love you, and we're so proud of you."

Charlie hugged his mom tighter. "Dad knows?" he whispered.

"Your dad is going to give Nathaniel hell at Thanksgiving, just as he did upon meeting Alexis' first boyfriend, Ophelia's, and all the girls Sam's brought home. But he adores Nathaniel, and he couldn't be happier for you both."

"But he's already met Nathaniel."

"Yes, but now he gets to tease him. He's been looking forward to this day for almost five years now."

"I'm sorry I kept it from you."

"You never needed to," Kate told him gently. She pulled back, and smiled. "Now, how is Grad School treating you?"

"It's amazing. I just wish it was here. I miss you all so much."

"We miss you too." Kate wrapped an arm around both their shoulders. "Now come on, let's get out there and save Sam before your dad kills him."

Charlie walked ahead, but Ophelia stopped, and chuckled. Kate turned back to her. "Whats up?"

"The fact you still call Dad _Castle_, and he calls you _Beckett_. It reminded me…"

"Of?"

"Um… Granddad."

Kate smiled. "Oh?"

"He doesn't smile at much anymore but… every time Dad calls you Beckett his eyes light up, like he's remembering something special."

"He's probably remembering all the years your dad and I wasted before we started dating."

"I hope, whatever it is, he doesn't forget it."

"What do you mean?"

"He called me Katie last week," she said quietly.

"I'm sure it was just a slip, Phee," Kate reassured her.

"Yeah, maybe." She shrugged, but her eyes were still clouded with the darkness of what it could mean.

"Go tease your father, Phee. Don't worry about mine tonight."

"There are a lot of things we're not worrying about tonight," she murmured.

Kate nodded. "Let's keep it that way, okay."

* * *

**Espo's absence is for you to interpret. I'm not going to say it, because he's my favorite and I hate my future headcanon. Maybe in your headcanon he retired young, and lives in Hawaii. Actually, let's just go with that anyway. Yes.  
And regarding Castle's age, I've always put him at ten years older than Beckett, making him a '69 (dirty!) baby. But feel free to correct me with the age canon puts him at if it's known. **

**Believe me when I say I hope Alzheimer's is a thing of the past twenty two years from now.  
**

******Thank you all for the reviews for chapter one. It's been interesting swapping PMs with some of you and drawing you into my future Caskett world.**


	3. Chapter 3

Kate curled into her husband's warmth, side pressed to his, the tip of her toe trailing up and down his leg, head on his chest, arm slung low across his waist. Curled into him, she was silently seeking the security of him that she rarely asked for with words; the day had caught up with her. Her lips brushed soft kisses to his chest, and she sighed against his skin. "Happy Birthday, Castle," she murmured, struggling to keep the sadness from seeping into her voice.

His arms tightened around her, and he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Hell of a birthday," he said in response. "I think I spent the entire day waiting for someone to yell _April Fools_!"

She smiled ruefully, but didn't pull back, speaking against his chest, "I think I did too." She huffed out a soft sigh. "Your sons aren't speaking to one another, by the way."

"Must have been a doozy if they're solely mine."

"It was," she replied. "Tomorrow you get to pull Sam's head out of his ass, and at some point Charlie is going to have a pretty difficult conversation with you."

"Will you be there?"

"I've been there, and tomorrow they're all yours." She paused, and frowned before saying, "I have to deal with..."

"You have Bracken to deal with," Castle replied, keeping his tone even, despite wanting to spit out the name. "And to hopefully bury once and for all."

"Yeah," she said simply. She was silent for a moment, collecting herself by sucking in a deep breath, holding it for a couple of beats, before exhaling slowly. "Phee mentioned something tonight that bothered me. She didn't mean to upset me, but it brought something to the surface that we've pushed down a little bit lately."

Castle shifted. Sitting up, he eased her against his side, snaked an arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer. His lips brushed across her temple, and lingered there as he asked, "Bracken?" At Kate's slight shake of her head, he leaned back a little and studied her profile. "What is it, Kate?"

"My dad," she said softly, turning to face him. "He called Phee 'Katie', and now she's worried. She's worried because he doesn't smile like he used to, and he can't remember her name."

"Oh, Kate," Castle murmured. He pressed kisses to her forehead, trailing them down the bridge of her nose, to her lips.

"I think it's time to tell the kids," she whispered against his lips. When he pulled back and gave her a sad smile of agreement, she added, "He's deteriorated so much these past few months."

"Together?" he asked.

Kate folded her body into his, molding herself to him as she wrapped both arms around his bare torso, and rested her head near his shoulder. She nodded. "Tomorrow evening," she said resolutely. "I need to talk to dad first, so he's aware." Castle inhaled deeply, causing Kate to shift slightly against his chest as he did so. "What was that, Castle?" She looked up at him, recognizing it for a sign he was summoning the strength to tell her something.

"I had hoped it was a one-off."

"What?" she asked, her wide eyes taking in the ever deepening lines marring his forehead, the tightness in his jaw.

"I went to see him, January ninth. I took your mom some flowers, and stopped by to see how Jim was doing. When he questioned why I was visiting, I told him because of Johanna. He-"

"He asked who Johanna was," she finished.

Castle released a sad sigh. "Yes."

"I know," she whispered. Sliding down, she tugged him with her until they were both on their backs on the mattress once more, her body curled into his again as she tucked her head under his chin. "He asked me too, and I've been trying to work through that. It scares me, Castle, how much he has lost this year alone."

He sensed she was holding back. "He's getting the best treatment available right now, and we won't stop, Kate. And you know Ophelia will be glued to his side now." Trailing the tips of his fingers up and down her arm, he gently eased the words out of her.

"I'm just...I'm not _only_ scared for my dad. It makes me wonder…if we don't..." Her breath hitched, and she blinked back tears as she said, "What if I forget you one day? What if you forget me?"

"Not a chance," he told her firmly.

"But how-"

"Because I know," he told her. "I know that we will grow old together. And when our time comes? We'll be over a hundred, we'll have several grand kids, and great-grand kids, we'll have lived a life so blessed we'll have no need for anything else. We'll crawl into bed one evening, in one another's arms, and we'll just know. We'll know it's our time. We'll look at each other, and say, 'let's blow this joint'. We'll fall asleep together, and just peacefully drift off. That's how we're going," he told her.

"Promise?" she asked, raising her watery eyes to meet his.

"Promise." He kissed her head again, and added, "And then we'll go haunt the kids."

"Castle!" she admonished, laughing softly.

"Okay, maybe just Sam."

Kate snorted softly. "Yeah, maybe." She smiled. "To give you a heads up for what's in store for you tomorrow, Charlie's gay."

"Was that supposed to be a secret?"

Kate laughed. "He thought so."

"Poor kid."

Kate sobered then. "Babe…"

And he knew, instantly, how her mind had switched to an earlier event in the day, and how it was now clouding her. "Don't give Bracken another thought today, Honey."

"Phee didn't get the promotion, and now she's sniffing around the Twelfth." Kate felt her husband's body tense at this news. "She's looking for a story to get her noticed, but this will get her noticed in all the wrong ways. And God, Castle, she's such a mix of you and I. Even with our parental powers combined I'm not sure we can stop her from digging into this." She met his eyes, held them fiercely. "I can't lose anyone else. I can't lose my baby, Castle."

"We won't," he replied firmly. "I'll make sure she's safe. Always." He wrapped her in his arms, and sealed the promise with a kiss to her forehead. "Hey, guess what today was," he said quietly.

She smiled against him. "Happy Birthday, Rick," she whispered into his skin. But the thoughts lingered...

* * *

**So that's the end of the introduction to these characters and the case, but it's just the beginning of the story. I have some assignments, and oral exams coming up (shoot me, please), so I need to focus on those over the next few weeks but during study breaks I'll slowly ease the rest of the story out of my brain and hopefully once mid-semester break hits I'll have a completed story to start posting. So add this one to alerts if you want more, as it will continue here :)  
**


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